Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he won't rule out introducing stringent lockdown measures similar to those seen in Italy, Spain and France. Boris Johnson's government has faced mounting criticism that it was acting too slowly compared with other European nations such as Italy, Spain and France. British stock markets fell for the eighth day in 10 as more companies warned of a severe hit to earnings. Earlier, Scotland's semi-autonomous government announced it would close Scottish schools from Friday and there was no guarantee they would reopen before the long summer break. Johnson was also asked whether he planned to introduce stringent lockdown measures similar to those seen in Italy, Spain and France.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 18, 2020 21:11 UTC